Earnings of RTÉ stars to be revealed

THE earnings of RTÉ’s leading stars will be definitively revealed to the public next year.

RTÉ outgoing director general Bob Collins said yesterday that the top 10 earners and their exact wages will be listed in the annual report when it is published next spring.

Also yesterday, RTÉ bosses admitted it was wrong to allow news anchorman Bryan Dobson to provide PR advice to health board chief executives.

At present RTÉ merely discloses the numbers of staff in certain wage brackets, leading to speculation about the identity of the top earners.

Currently, two RTÉ presenters make between €300,000 and €500,000, believed to be a choice from Pat Kenny, Gerry Ryan, Marian Finucane and Joe Duffy.

Confidentiality clauses in contracts prevented the station from disclosing earnings, Mr Collins said, but newly negotiated contracts did not contain these provisions.

However, there could still be some confusion where media companies were involved, he conceded.

Responding to the Bryan Dobson controversy, RTÉ head of news Ed Mulhall said rules on staff engaging in outside work were clear. The station stands on its record in terms of its objectivity and anyone who trained people did not then interview them on TV or radio.

“I don’t like the sort of publicity we had earlier this summer and neither did the individual concerned.

“Both of us publicly admitted to errors and there are lessons to be drawn from that. We will be judged on our record,” he said.

RTÉ is currently tightening up its code of conduct for staff members in a review that began in March.

Oireachtas Communications Committee chairman Noel O’Flynn welcomed the acknowledgement that mistakes were made.

But Mr Collins rejected the suggestion by Deputy O’Flynn that there was public concern about the impartiality of the station’s news coverage. Surveys showed RTÉ news was considered by the public to be authoritative and impartial, he said.

Agreeing it was inappropriate for current affairs reporters. There was absolutely no evidence of conflicts of interest and no established facts, Mr Collins said.

“The proof of the pudding is in its eating. RTÉ’s commitment to independent journalism is seen on TV and radio. RTÉ has no interest in giving people a soft time,” he said.

The RTÉ delegation also asserted that the station will make a surplus of 3 million this year, following the licence fee increase to €150 last year.

Warning against believing reports about leaked documents from the station, Mr Collins cautioned against

assuming RTÉ would make a substantial loss. Viewing figures for the first half of the year showed 17 out of the top 20 programmes were home made, but this included the Eurovision Song Contest.

Mickey Harte’s disappointing performance in the final in Latvia was watched by 1,037,000 people, just pipping his victory over Simon Casey in the You’re A Star final, which attracted 990,000 viewers.